Today, I’ll give you a list of yummy, luscious foods you can put together for a buffet of libido fuel and indulgence.

Below are some proven foods and herbs that boost libido:

Ginseng

Ginseng is a powerful libido enhancing and stress relieving adaptogenic herb. In fact, ginseng is one of the most powerful libido-enhancing herbs for women. In studies, researchers have found that women who took a ginseng supplement for 30 days, significantly increased their libido by 68% and felt that ginseng improved their sex life as well.

Figs

Figs are a wonderful libido-enhancing food. They stimulate fertility, boost pheromones, give you lots of energy, and contain powerful amino acids that trigger more sex hormone release. They’re perfect to pair or dip in honey, which is delicious. If you’ve never tasted fresh figs, make sure to try some this year when they’re in season (the first few weeks in June and August through October. The most favored variety are Black Mission figs.

Black Raspberries

Not blackberries. Black raspberries! There’s a difference. Black raspberries (and their seeds) are packed with phytochemicals that stimulate sexual energy, endurance, AND desire. Just ten black raspberries or teaspoon of their seeds is supposed to enhance libido and improve sexual performance.

Watermelon

If you want to boost libido and sexual performance, try watermelon. Watermelon contains two powerful compounds that do both, in fact. As one researcher notes, "Watermelon contains a phytonutrient called citrulline, which the body converts to arginine, an amino acid that boosts nitric oxide levels in the body, which relax blood vessels in the same way a medicine like Viagra does. Plus, watermelon also contains more lycopene that just about any other food on the planet. Lycopene improves blood circulation, meaning enhanced blood flow to the nether regions for both sexes. Watermelon is supposed to be great for men with erectile dysfunction and some women say that loading up on watermelon for a few days before sex enhances orgasm as well.

Strawberries for a serious sex drive

Strawberries are one of the best libido-enhancing foods there are, nutritionists tell us. As Patrick Hollford, nutritionist, notes, “Forget Viagra, try strawberries . . . the fruits can seriously

boost your sex drive.”

In olden-day France, strawberry soup was eaten at every reception, to stimulate fertility for baby-making honeymoon sex. Strawberries are loaded with antioxidants and a lot of vitamin C, which both stimulate blood flow to the sex organs, and they’re also very high in zinc.

Zinc is crucial for testosterone and estrogen production. In fact, if a man has sex three times in one day, he will deplete the zinc in his body entirely—that’s how crucial it is for sex. As Patrick Holford, founder of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition, states that "My message is simple: every time you have sex, or simply want to ready yourself or your partner for sex you should consume a handful of raspberries or strawberries.”

Avocados

Energy and a great libido lead to great sex, and the avocado spikes both. In fact, the Aztecs loved avocados and believed the fruit enhanced fertility. In fact, the Aztec word for avocado is ahucati, which means “testicle.” And, in fact, the B6 in avocados enhances testosterone production in men and women. Yes, testosterone is important for all those things we associate with men and virility, but for women, testosterone drives sexual desire, orgasm, fantasizing about sex, sensitivity to touch, and even orgasm. In fact, declining testosterone levels in women are what causes the decreasing desire for sex and the drop in orgasm strength that typically accompanies menopause. So boosting testosterone is good for all aspects of sexual enjoyment for women. Strawberries are also packed with minerals, healthy Omega 3 fats, and B vitamins, which fuel the body with sexual energy and sexual desire as well.

Maca

Maca is an interesting root that is harvested from deep in the Andes mountains in Peru. It has also proven in studies to enhance libido in both men and women. In three different studies, even on depressed men taking antidepressant medications, maca proved to enhance sexual desire, which is impressive given antidepressants’ legendary libido-decreasing effects. In studies on women taking antidepressant medications, maca again proved to enhance sexual desire as well as feelings of sexual satisfaction. Maca is also an effective mood booster and helps to calm the symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, and depression. Maca is also a proven energy booster, a fertility booster, a bone strengthener, and is packed with 20 amino acids (8 essential one), B vitamins, vitamins C and E, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, and is rich in hard to find iodine. Because it’s so nutrient-packed, maca has been officially declared a superfood.

However, there are some need-to-knows about maca root:

Maca is typically dried and sold in powdered form and part of the reason for this is because maca molds very, very easily. Even during the drying process, molding of the maca can occur and, therefore, the end product can contain cancerous compounds called aflatoxins. Aflatoxins are molds that occur on some crops, typically peanut and corn crops, when they are stored if storage temperatures are not kept cool and dry.

You need to purchase maca from a high-end supplier, and if you feel foggy or ill after taking it, you may have received a moldy batch.

One way you can cut down on the risk of aflatoxin exposure is to always cook maca root if you buy it whole. Another reason to cook all maca root is because in its whole form, maca contains compounds called goitrogens, which are anti-nutrients that disrupt thyroid function. However, goitrogens do not stand up to heat well and this is why cooking the root is smart.

The best way to buy maca, however, is to skip the raw form and buy it in its gelatinized form. It’s still in a powder, but the gelatinization process destroys those antinutrients. Whatever you do, pick a trustworthy supplier and read lots of reviews.

Experts assure us that neither cooking the root nor the gelatinization process destroys any of the root’s infamous libido-enhancing powers.

However you take it, be sure your maca’s cooked, and get the high-quality stuff to avoid mold toxins as much as possible.

Do you have a favorite brand of maca? Have you felt any effects from taking it? If so, talk about your experience with this odd mountain-grown veggie in the comments. Thanks for reading!